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Thursday, March 1, 2012

I have been pretty over-the-top-obsessed with brownies lately. I've probably saved close to a dozen brownie recipes in the past month or so, and I just can't get enough. And it's safe to say that ice cream is always an obsession. Now if I had to choose? Put your hands together (Friends, anyone?). This is far and away the best ice cream I've ever made. It's a milk chocolate base, which basically tastes like pure milk chocolate. And then dense, chewy brownies are mixed into the ice cream just after it's churned. It's serious stuff. I've been rationing it over the past week or so, because I could easily just eat the entire quart in one sitting.

When I mentioned to my friend Annie that I wanted to make this ice cream sometime soon, she pretty much insisted that I make it ASAP. And since I actually had a few egg yolks left after needing whites for dinner that night, I knew it was fate. That night, I made the brownies and the ice cream base. While the brownies were baking, I mixed up the ice cream base, and then the next morning I churned and froze it. Easy peasy.

I know it's not summer yet, blah blah blah, but I eat ice cream year-round, so whether it is hot, cold, rainy, snowy, or if you're lucky enough to live in Atlanta and have perfect weather right now - make this ice cream. You won't be sorry.

Milk-Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream.
barely adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz

For the brownies:

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

½ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

For the ice cream:

8 oz. milk chocolate (at least 30% cacao solids), chopped

1½ cups heavy cream

1½ cups whole milk

¾ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

2 Tbs Kahlua (optional)

To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line an 8 x 8-inch
baking pan with aluminum foil, and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and
melt. Whisk in the chopped chocolate and stir just until melted.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in
the flour and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Smooth the batter into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes,
until the center feels just set. Remove from the oven and let cool
completely. Cut into small bits to be mixed into the ice cream. (Only
half of the brownies are needed for the ice cream. The remainder can be
eaten whole or frozen for later use).

To make the ice cream, combine the milk
chocolate and heavy cream in a micowave-safe bowl.. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between. When melted, set aside and set a mesh sieve
over the top of the bowl.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk,
sugar and salt. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl,
whisk together the egg yolks. When the milk mixture is warm, slowly add
to the bowl with the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return the
mixture to the saucepan and continue to heat, stirring constantly,
until the mixture thickens just slightly and coats the back of a spoon
(170-175˚ F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the heat and
pour the custard through the strainer into the milk chocolate mixture. Stir in the Kahlua.

Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly in
the refrigerator (preferably overnight). Freeze in an ice cream maker according to
the manufacturer’s instructions. Once frozen, fold in the brownie bits
with a spatula. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until
ready to serve.

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